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Harley Davidson, the most
famous of American motorcycle manufacturers, was founded in Milwaukee , WI about
the turn of the 20th century, and began producing motorcycles in
1905. Having been one of only two major American motorcycle manufacturers to
survive the Great Depression, Harley was well positioned to dominate the
domestic motorcycle market for years to come. Harley-Davidson also built a great
number of military bikes for WWII, including shipping at least 30,000 bikes to
the Soviet Union to support the war effort. Famous for its distinctive V-twin
engine design and trademarked rumble sound, AMF acquired the brand in 1969. In
an effort to reduce costs, AMF ended up producing over priced, under performing
bikes. This, in combination with increased competition from Japanese
manufacturers, caused near bankruptcy for the brand. After being sold again,
Harley began a revival by exploiting stiff trade tariffs on Japanese brands and
concentrating on the ‘retro’ aspects of their machines. Harley continues to
dominate this market today.